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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24424318">For Some Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeastofBurton/pseuds/TheBeastofBurton'>TheBeastofBurton</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Eldritch Space Therapy Cat, F/F, Mental Health Issues, Mostly Lots of Feelings with a Sprinkling of Action, New Relationship Fun, Post Season 5, Slice of Life, The Kids Aren't Quite Alright but Gosh Darnit They're Trying</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:08:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24424318</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeastofBurton/pseuds/TheBeastofBurton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was always hard to describe to anyone, but Adora always felt a very particular way when she became She-ra.  She was still her, still Adora.  But she was also more, the strength of an entire planet filtered through the memory of a thousand different bodies.  Ever since the restraints of the Heart were removed the knowledge in those memories had swelled from a whisper to a choir, filling her mind with the knowledge of the deepest magic and her body with the power to release it back into a universe that had dimmed to guttering in its absence.</p>
<p>Which is to say that a stray battalion of enterprising pirates who had co-opted the ruins of a Horde base to try and terrorize the local populace was particularly unimpressive these days.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora/Catra (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>191</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>For Some Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'll be real with you here folks, this is basically two and a half weeks of feral victory screeching distilled into a little day in the life fic that I desperately wanted to read but ended up writing by accident instead.  What a show, y'all.  Happy reading!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Waking up in space was always weird.  Not like "alternate reality Fright Zone" weird, but not <em> not </em> like that either for the first few seconds.  It was all the metal, the angles. The way the purple lights looked nearly red through her eyelids.  The disconnection from the constant thrum of energy she never noticed on Etheria until it was gone.  Definitely enough to drive a spike of panic through her chest, to make her flex a hand out in reflex and clench it around the warm, staticky grip of the sword she could still pull into existence.</p>
<p>Which she could do because it was just the inside of Mara's ship. Just space.  Weird, but safe.  She let her hand go slack again, let sword dissipate into little flecks of light that floated in the recycled air.  The panic never left so easily, still twanging in the muscles of her legs, throbbing in her fingertips, generally ensuring that she was Very Much Awake Now.</p>
<p>Something moved next to her, sending a fresh jolt singing down her arms as a hand reached over her line of sight.  It curled against the side of her face, pressing gently until she had to look to the right.</p>
<p>"You okay?"</p>
<p>Catra's voice was still gravelly, third eyelids still not quite managing to stay open all the way when she blinked.  The silence stretched on too long and Catra's brow furrowed.</p>
<p>"Adora, c'mon. Are you okay?"</p>
<p>I'm fine, she tried to say.  Just a bad dream.  Just a memory of who we used to be.</p>
<p>"I love you," is what left Adora's mouth.  Unexpected, but not inaccurate either.  Catra's whole body relaxed next to her, a sweet, slow smile spreading across her face.</p>
<p>"So much that you can't even answer a yes/no question?  That's embarrassing."  The hand on the side of Adora's face started to drift, sliding into her hair, curling around the base of her skull.  Adora rolled onto her side, sliding her own arm around Catra's middle, leaving barely a breath between them.</p>
<p>"I love you too, dummy," Catra sighed, eyes already drifting closed again.  The fine fur along her back felt like silk under Adora's hand and the bodily confirmation of those words, of being allowed to share in this moment of sleepy warmth in the confidence of utter safety was just too much to hold on her own.  She edged closer and pressed her mouth to Catra's.</p>
<p>They had kissed many times by then, but each one still felt as new and sacred as the first.  Catra made a noise high in her throat, and Adora felt the slightest series of pricks against her scalp where claws met the skin before the sensation became meaningless.  She couldn't remember anymore how long she had imagined what this would be like, how many times she had tamped down the fantasy before it even began to take shape, but when <em> this </em> was reality now she couldn't bring herself to care.</p>
<p>She became vaguely aware of movement, of Catra tugging with one hand and pushing with the other until Adora was lying flat against the mattress again, of the weight of Catra's body pressing her down into it.</p>
<p>They broke for breath and Adora opened her eyes in a daze.  Catra had braced on a forearm above her and was watching her with a look so heavy it felt like a physical touch.</p>
<p>"You're so pretty," she mumbled, leaning her forehead down against Adora's.  "I still can't believe I can just say that now."</p>
<p>Adora ran her hands up along the long, lithe stretch of Catra's back, still so far beyond her ability to turn feelings into words that it felt like all she could do to convey how much she agreed.  Muscle shifted smoothly under the skin, strong and alive and radiating enough warmth to make her dizzy.  When she reached Catra's sleep-mussed mane, she scratched her nails against the scalp, lingering by the base of her ears.  Catra's eyes slid closed as her chest started rumbling loudly enough for Adora to feel the sound in her own.</p>
<p>"That is literally the cutest noise you've made in your entire life," she managed to say, not bothering to hide her grin when one of Catra's eyes cracked open in a glare.</p>
<p>The next kiss was a challenge, a wrists pinned, sharp toothed, <em> rush </em> of a challenge that left Adora dazed.  When she wrestled her eyes open again, it was Catra's smug, flushed face that greeted her.</p>
<p>"I," she asserted evenly, dropping a softer, gentler kiss down on Adora's lips, "Am not cute.  But I'm working on the whole patience thing so I guess I don't mind reminding you."</p>
<p>"S'very generous of you."</p>
<p>"I know, right?" Catra leaned back on her heels, stretching her arms above her head with a satisfied sound.  Adora reached out, sliding hands over the downy fur on her thighs, touching for no reason other than she could.  The look on Catra's face was as familiar as it was new, the hand she reached out one Adora would take every chance she got for the rest of her life.</p>
<p>"Let's go get some breakfast. If we hurry maybe we can grab some before Sparkles burns it."</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>Catra padded onto the bridge with a yawn, taking another big bite of the surprisingly not awful rehydrated ancient sandwich while asking, "What's the haps, Arrow Boy?"</p>
<p>Bow rolled his eyes as she passed him in the captain's chair, taking her movement with a look she was still coming to understand as 'fond'; for a long time it looked the same to her as distrust, but with practice she was starting to see the difference.  The relaxed body posture, the lack of tension in the brow.  The smile.</p>
<p>"Good morning to you too, Catra," he replied, turning his attention back to the ship's readings after nudging the large, semi-spectral cat dozing at his feet.  There was no need to, of course.  They could both always tell where the other was.</p>
<p><em> Morning, big guy</em>, Catra thought in their direction as they rose with a lazy stretch.</p>
<p><em> Greetings, small friend</em>, she heard Melog say in return, the words tickling the now familiar spot in the back of her head.  She liked to think that she, of all people, had adapted pretty quickly to an entirely new method of communication with an alien of unknowable power, but friendship apparently made you do things like that.</p>
<p><em> You could know the extent of my power quite easily</em>, they said primly, hopping up beside Catra to settle in their favorite window perch, pointedly eyeing the second half of her sandwich.  <em> All I would need to demonstrate is a space several times the size of your 'Brightmoon' that you had no strong feelings about the state of afterwards. </em></p>
<p>Catra snorted and handed over the remains of her breakfast, dropping a quick scratch behind their ears as they scarfed it.  Just because you didn't necessarily need corporeal food to live didn't mean you didn't deserve some every now and then, after all.  She tipped her head back against the bulkhead and turned her face towards the window, watching the stars drift by through the outline of her own reflection.  Her mane was getting shaggy.  She'd need to start tying it back soon.</p>
<p>Muffled laughter echoed through the corridor that lead to the bridge, brightening when the door hissed open and the rest of their dumb Best Friends Squad wandered through.  Adora looked like a dream, like she had for their whole lives but <em> happier </em> than Catra thought they would ever get to be, eyes bright from that stupidly adorable snort-laugh she couldn't control to save her life.  Watching her was better than looking at a bunch of empty space any day of the week.</p>
<p><em> Your mate is resplendent</em>, Melog agreed, pushing a wave of something that felt like pride and approval against that ticklish spot even as their choice of words made her flush.</p>
<p>"Everything alright?" Adora asked, walking up with metal cups in both hands, tilting her head to the side when Catra's response took too long.  She put one to the side and pressed the other into Catra's hands.  It was some First One's stim drink that Adora dressed up Catra's favorite way to take it; double concentrate and nearly enough sugar to make it syrup. Scalding hot and eye-wateringly perfect.</p>
<p>"Melog thinks you look nice today," she managed to get out in a gruff mumble, taking a too-big sip to hide from the dawning smugness on Adora's face.</p>
<p>"Do they now?"  She leaned into Catra's personal space in a manner that could only be described as <em> taunting </em> and smoothed her hand over the top of Melog's head.  "That's very nice of you, Melog; thank you!  I think you're looking especially spectral today yourself."</p>
<p>She let the same hand drift over to Catra's arm, run slowly up the length of it until she reached the shoulder, where she started toying with the long ends of mane Catra had pushed back to keep it out of her face.  "This is getting long," Adora said, her voice going all soft and distracted.</p>
<p>"It's not cute," Catra reminded firmly, admittedly diminishing her position by turning fully into the touch, biting down a very embarrassing purr when Adora's hand started carding through the fur.</p>
<p>"I mean, I was gonna say it's, really, <em> really </em> attractive," Adora replied,  swiping her thumb against the base of Catra's ear and leaning closer.  "But we can use your word if you want."</p>
<p>"If you two could stop flirting for like fifteen seconds, we should really go over the game plan for today," Glimmer said loudly from the other side of the room just as Adora's lips brushed against hers, which had the very annoying side effect of causing Adora to pull away stiffly and start to turn around.  Catra didn't let her get far, though.</p>
<p>With one arm wrapped around Adora's middle and a weirdly intuitive space cat planting themselves on her feet, Catra hooked her chin over Adora's shoulder and gave Glimmer and Bow her sweetest smile.</p>
<p>"Alright, <em> your majesty</em>, hit us.  Though the clock's already running so now you have twelve, eleven, ten…"</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>It was always hard to describe to anyone, but Adora always felt a very particular way when she became She-ra.  She was still her, still Adora.  But she was also <em> more </em>, the strength of an entire planet filtered through the memory of a thousand different bodies.  Ever since the restraints of the Heart were removed the knowledge in those memories had swelled from a whisper to a choir, filling her mind with the knowledge of the deepest magic and her body with the power to release it back into a universe that had dimmed to guttering in its absence.</p>
<p>Which is to say that a stray battalion of enterprising pirates who had co-opted the ruins of a Horde base to try and terrorize the local populace was particularly unimpressive these days.</p>
<p>Glimmer fizzed in and out of existence around her, gleefully picking off anyone who moved out of cover as they passed.</p>
<p>"Haha!" she crowed, stunning an unfortunate sniper off his perch while also throwing out just enough magical padding to keep his fall from being fatal.  "This feels." Blast. "Just like." Another blast.  "Standing next to." An impressive chain reaction of a blast that flattened four pirates at once.  "My runestone!  Are you sure-eep!"  She appeared behind Adora, grabbing her arm decisively and teleported them fifty feet ahead just as an artillery blast made a crater of a ground they stood in seconds before.</p>
<p>"Are you sure this isn't hurting you at all?  I don't want to be just using you like a magical battery, but <em> wow </em> does it feel good to cut loose after all that time in space."</p>
<p>Adora shook her head, manifesting her shield to cover them from small arms fire without even thinking about it.  "I promise.  We're here to turn the whole planet back on, after all.  More than enough left for you to get fancy."</p>
<p>Glimmer grinned, leaning to look around Adora when a klaxon started blaring behind them.  "That's your cue," she shouted over the din, jumping up to pat Adora on the arm.  "Bow and Catra must have gotten through the shield wall.  Go get 'em, She-ra!"</p>
<p>Adora took off towards the base of the tower looming over them, towards the blast door groaning open against the grit and rust that had already built up without the constant maintenance of Horde drones.  The hallway beyond it was cavernous, bristling at the edges with the sharp angles of Prime's favored architecture, but crusted over with a layer of scum that gave it a homey feeling. Like the Fright Zone.</p>
<p>The confidence of her step hitched for a breath as a rush of feelings crackled down her arms, not all of them her own.  Disgust, rage, fear.  A shudder of grim satisfaction.  The hollow echo of a feeling too big for words.  They moved over her like a wave and then they were still.  Not gone, not far, but quiet enough to press onwards.  She had a date with a drill.</p>
<p>The blueprints smuggled from the planet's resistance fighters were easy to reach for in her mind, the path forward through the facility a clear line to follow.  The handy markers of groaning half-unconscious pirates struggling against arrow traps and clutching at deep claw marks across their armor weren't a bad indicator either. It didn't take her long to reach the towering central chamber of the facility.</p>
<p>"Any time you wanna do your thing so we can get out of here would be great," she heard Bow call out with a grunt, just as she sighted him grappling with a pirate on a precarious ledge several stories above her.  A second, burly figure was barreling towards his side.  Before Adora could even pull in the breath to shout, she heard a voice cut across the conflict "Bow, <em> left </em>!"  Bow shifted his weight and lurched left without hesitation just as Catra hurled herself out of the shadows and connected with the new attacker.</p>
<p>They staggered backwards.  Catra reared back to strike them across the face.  The move unbalanced her just enough for the pirate to regain their footing, and in a snarl of motion they unseated Catra and sent her flying over the platform's edge.</p>
<p>For a long and horrifying second, Catra fell.</p>
<p>Adora felt her body moving, covering the distance, weaving the sword into something, anything to slow the descent.  But her mind was paralyzed.  Still and cold and tinged electric green.</p>
<p>Then a sound whistled through the echo of Catra's cry of alarm, an arrow screaming down after her.  It disintegrated as cut ahead, leaving a loop of rope that cleanly caught around her ankle.  Another breathless moment and the rope snapped taut.</p>
<p>Catra bit out a strained curse, immediately twisting herself upwards to cut the binding.  The hold on Adora's mind broke just as she tumbled the last ten feet into her arms.</p>
<p>The look on her face seemed surprised, confused, and a little bit like something else.  "We have got to stop meeting like this," she said with a low, silky voice and an easy grin.  Adora wanted both to kiss her and to throw her across the room.</p>
<p>"Are you hurt?  Honestly hurt?" Adora asked sharply when she could practically see the theatrical response brewing.  Catra sobered immediately.</p>
<p>"I'm fine, Adora.  I promise."  She put a hand to Adora's face and curled her whole body closer.  "Nothing a little ice won't fix.  I'm okay.  We're okay."</p>
<p>"A little help, guys?" Bow screeched overhead, sailing across the chasm of the reactor on his own rope as the chamber began echoing with the din of dozens of boots on the metal walkways.  Catra leaned up just enough to press her lips soundly to Adora's cheek, then swung herself down.  She winced slightly when she put weight on her right leg, but held up a hand to stay Adora's protest before it could start.</p>
<p>"I'll get him, you do the whole magic thing.  Melog's got my back."  Adora opened her mouth to point out Melog's clear absence from the room just as an awareness prickled her skin.  Melog phased into view beside them, the red, spiked snarl of their mane smoothing into a cool, ghostly blue as they let their body wind against Catra's good leg.</p>
<p>"Okay," Adora nodded. Catra met her eyes once more and winked.</p>
<p>"Let 'em have it, big girl," she said as she and Melog phased out of sight.</p>
<p>Adora covered the remaining distance to the drill with long, purposeful steps.  The design was precisely what the blueprints had indicated; a massive hulk of a thing designed to shred apart a planet's core.  She drew her sword from the air once more and plunged it into the floor, through the metal and concrete and dead, packed earth, forcing her will down, down, down until she felt the dying planet reach up to meet her.  The space around her ignited into sparks, the stale air howling with joy and magic burning outward like fire through dead roots.</p>
<p>She closed her eyes and smiled, feeling an entire world surge back to life under her hands.  She doubted the feeling would ever grow old.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The First Ones didn't do much right in the universe, but of the handful of things they did air-cycling showers were easily in the top two.  Catra was sure it was to conserve water or something and not because they had come to the correct conclusion that standing under a glorified hose was a miserable way to get clean, but she'd take it.  Even if it left her a little more...voluminous than usual afterwards.</p>
<p>She made a face at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, smoothing down the fur on her shoulders and arms.  Her mane was just out of control, one touch enough to tell her that it was going to take several minutes of diligent work with a brush to make any kind of progress with it.</p>
<p>"Screw it," she muttered, reaching out and sliding her fingers under the edge of the mirror to release the latch to the compartment behind it.  It was easy to find Adora's stash of hair ties, tucked behind a glass vial of purplish liquid they both used on bad, sleepless nights.  Less easy to convince enough fur together to hold itself back, but she managed.  Always did.</p>
<p>Something caught her eye as she reached to close the compartment again, a scrap of something stuck to the inside of the door.  A picture.</p>
<p>Two weeks after She-ra destroyed Prime once and for all, there had been a formal gathering at Brightmoon.  It was mostly a lot of archaic nonsense to allow Glimmer to abdicate the throne for a while, pass the reins back to Micah so they could do the whole bring magic back to the universe thing.  Pretty stuffy, honestly, but the food was good.  And, though she would never admit it, it was kind of fun to dress up.</p>
<p>She traced her finger over the image.  It was a startlingly realistic snapshot of them in their dress clothes, Adora sitting against a tree in the palace garden, her draped over Adora.  She was glaring and sticking her tongue out; she remembered making that face at Bow when he asked for their help testing out a mod to his tracker pad.  Adora was looking at her with a soft, dopey smile.  Like there was nothing else in the world she would rather be looking at.</p>
<p>For as long as Catra could remember, Adora always kept a picture in her locker.  She couldn't remember what the first one was anymore, but it had been one of Catra's favorite pastimes to steal and replace it with some new dumb drawing of the both of them every few days.</p>
<p>She had shredded years' worth of them after Adora left.</p>
<p>The thought made her vision start blackening at the edges.  Claws skidded over her grip on the sink in a dull, metallic shriek.  The weight of every bad decision pressed down on her at once, a pressure wrapping around her chest like a massive fist.  She knew what she would see if she closed the cabinet, if she looked in the mirror.  This illusion of a perfect life where she was safe and loved would finally break and it would just be <em> her </em>, an animal that was more rage than person.</p>
<p><em> Center</em>, a gentle not-quite-a-voice prickled through the back of her head.  <em> Breathe, and find your center</em>.  <em> We are safe, and you are not alone.</em></p>
<p>She took a deep, shuddering breath and held it, counting down from ten.  She named the things she could hear, could feel, could see; things that were real. When she summoned the courage to close the door, she still recognized the person she saw.  She was still the person who had come out of the other side of the war.</p>
<p>"Thank you," she said out loud, looking at her own eyes for a lack of any other.</p>
<p><em> Always</em>, Melog replied.  <em> You were the first light in a dozen centuries of darkness, my small friend.  No matter your past, you are beloved to me. </em></p>
<p>Catra huffed a half-laugh, wiping at her stinging eyes.  "Love you, too, big guy.  Get some rest, alright?  You kicked ass today."  She felt a swell of their pride and contentment as their presence faded back to the warm white noise that felt as much a part of her now as her own thoughts.  With one last sigh, she scrubbed her hands over her face and left the bathroom.</p>
<p>Adora looked over to her as soon as the metal door to their room hissed open.  She was halfway ready for bed, stripped down to a compression shirt and boxers, hair loose around her shoulders.  She smiled that same dopey smile, wandering closer without seeming to notice.</p>
<p>"Nice shower?  You took long enough I thought you might have gone to get snacks…" she trailed off, expression going serious when she got close enough to notice the remains of whatever it was that must have still been sticking around Catra's face.  "What happened? Are you alright?"  Her whole body went tense when Catra caught her by the shoulders and held her at arm's length.</p>
<p>"I love you," Catra said firmly.  "You are a beautiful, overprotective idiot, and I love you."  She tensed her hands reflexively then forced herself to relax them, flattening her palms over the iron line of Adora's muscles.</p>
<p>"I am going to be better than I was.  You dese-" she cut herself off, glancing away from the understanding breaking across Adora's face.  "<em> I </em> deserve to be better.  And I'm still gonna screw up and it's still gonna suck sometimes, but I am choosing this."</p>
<p>"You're doing so good," Adora said softly, moving forward under Catra's hands until they were draped across the back of her neck. She leaned her head down slightly and pressed her lips to Catra's temple.  "I love you so much, and I'm so proud of you.  I'm here for anything you need; you know that, right?"</p>
<p>Catra gave in, wrapping her arms tight around Adora, pressing their bodies fully together.  She nodded into the crook of Adora's shoulder and let herself just be still and safe and warm.</p>
<p>"What if I need snacks?" she mumbled, grinning when she heard Adora scoff, yelping when she was swept bodily off her feet.</p>
<p>"Snacks I can definitely do," Adora said confidently, walking them through the door like it wasn't even an effort to carry Catra along.  "But you'll have to grab them 'cause my hands are full."</p>
<p>"You're such a dork," Catra replied with a roll of her eyes, disgustingly in love and sure there was no other way she'd ever want to be.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>She hadn't meant to stay up so late, but by the time Adora pulled herself out of her book the whole ship was still and quiet.  Reading just for reading's sake was still so new to her that she often had trouble stopping.  The book Frosta had leant her was hilarious, a mystery story championed by a team of amateur sleuths determined to save the day.  Most of the humor would have sailed over her head a few years ago, but now it left her chortling every few minutes and eager for the next misstep.  Frosta might've only just turned thirteen, but the kid had great taste.</p>
<p>With a contented sigh she reached over and slid the book onto the pile beside the cot.  There were books of poetry from Perfuma, daring romances from Sea Hawk, and a weirdly compelling technical manual from Entrapta still waiting for her to finish.  But for tonight she was finally tired, the will to sleep already resting heavily across her eyelids.  She lay down fully and rolled onto her side, tucking an arm under her pillow with a drawn out yawn.</p>
<p>Catra was already asleep next to her, stretched out in the warmth under the covers.  She had never slept like this when they were kids, always curled up at the foot of Adora's bed, always restless and prone to snapping awake at the slightest movement.  But on lucky nights like this, Adora got the chance to see her truly at rest, fully trusting that she was safe enough to do so.</p>
<p>Trusting <em> Adora</em>.  The thought still felt like sparks in her chest.  Catra trusted her, <em> loved </em> her, and they had nothing but time to build a life together on that bedrock.  It was everything Adora had ever wanted, and the very act of thinking about it slid a glassy shard of panic between her ribs.</p>
<p>Before she could tip over the edge of the spiral, she was jostled by movement at the foot of the cot.  Bolting upright, she stared at Melog from where they had settled pointedly on her feet.  They made an echoing chirp of a noise, holding Adora's eyes with a flat, impassive look.  Though Adora had always had trouble parsing their facial expressions; it was entirely possible that they were furious with her, disappointed in her weakness, in her inadequacy as a partner to their-</p>
<p>"They're right; you're thinking too loud again."  Adora looked back down at Catra, who hadn't moved but was now watching cautiously.  "It's late.  Do you need to go get the sleep stuff?"</p>
<p>"I...no.  Maybe?"  It was true that any sleepiness she felt before had burned away, but she didn't like the sleep tincture from Brightmoon's alchemists all that much either.  It left her feeling foggy and half aware for hours after waking, and the lingering sourness of having submitted to insomnia always left her in a bad mood.</p>
<p>Catra sighed, reaching out a hand to curl around Adora's wrist with a half-smile.  "Come lay down with me for a minute, okay?  If you're still wired after, I'll go get the stuff."  She tugged Adora's hand out from under her and rolled over onto her back.  Adora took the hint and curled up against her side, tangling their legs together as she settled back down.</p>
<p>"When did you get good at this?" she mumbled into Catra's shoulder.  Catra snorted, shifting the arm under Adora's neck so she could touch her hair.</p>
<p>"Definitely haven't, but thanks I guess.  Wasn't hard to figure out you're a sucker for cuddling."</p>
<p>It was true.  So much of their lives had been spent living with the understanding that physical contact was only something that could happen in proximity to violence that even years after learning better, Adora still turned into a puddle of a person at every passing touch.  She knew Catra was much the same, but also knew better than to push her luck by mentioning it.  Instead, she turned her face further into Catra's shoulder and breathed in deeply.  She focused on the warmth seeping through her skin, on the little touches where Catra's fingers grazed the back of her neck.</p>
<p>"I, um," Catra started haltingly, reaching her other hand down to squeeze the arm Adora had curled around her.  "So you know how you really suck at taking care of yourself?"</p>
<p>"Hey!" Adora jerked her head up to glare.</p>
<p>"No, shut up, I'm getting to the nice part!" Catra protested, face tinged red.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Adora again, face wary and serious.</p>
<p>"I want to learn how to take care of you," she said slowly and carefully, as if measuring each word.  "And I can't say it's not gonna be a lot of this crap, but I'm going to keep trying until I get it right."</p>
<p>Adora stared at her, unable to put words to the sudden feeling of something deep and shapeless within her being exposed to the light.  Catra held eye contact, expression setting into determination.</p>
<p>"That's what we do.  We look out for each other.  But that means you have to try to tell me when things are bad instead of ignoring or running off to save the day again or both at the same time because-"</p>
<p>"I don't like the sleep stuff," Adora blurted out in interruption, desperate to convey that she understood, that she knew, that it was exactly what she would do until the day she died if she could find the stupid words, but all that came out was, "It makes me feel gross when I wake up."</p>
<p>"O-okay," Catra replied, understandably startled but adapting admirably as she pulled her arm out from under Adora and sat up.  "Okay. I can work with that. Let's...uh…here."  She leaned over and grabbed Adora's book off the top of the pile, then sat up and scooted herself until her back was flush with the wall.</p>
<p>"Lean on me and read your weird book.  We don't have anywhere to be tomorrow so you can sleep any time; you should at least do something fun if you can't do it right now."</p>
<p>"But you were-"</p>
<p>"I can sleep anywhere, you know that," Catra reminded, shoving the book into Adora's hands as she sat up.  "C'mere and give it a shot at least, okay? We'll try something else if it doesn't work."</p>
<p>But Adora was already moving towards her, already settling herself between her legs and leaning back into Catra's body.  Catra pulled the blanket up over their legs and laced her arms loosely around Adora's middle.  Melog rose into a luxurious stretch before resettling on their feet once more.</p>
<p>"Thank you," Adora said softly.  Catra didn't reply beyond an indifferent sound from the back of her throat that faded to a damning purr that rumbled quietly against Adora's back.  She spent several minutes staring at the open page in her lap through stinging eyes before she started reading again.</p>
<p>It wasn't perfect, but it was so much more than she'd ever thought they'd get.  A gift and a challenge, wrapped so closely together that they were surely inseparable.</p>
<p>It was a life moving forward.  One she wouldn't trade for anything.</p>
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